Readers' comments

I suggest that the researchers check in the first place if dogs are capable of telling apart fake demonstrations and the true human feelings of sorrow and suffering. I bet they definitely can. What their actual behavior will be, that's another question. Now you tell me: If you just sit down and pretend you are crying, do you really believe they will realize it as a true feeling? Human emotions certainly have their telltale chemical signatures that can not be faked and our best doggy friends will certainly smell them apart with their big muzzles. Let us understand admire and respect their specific animal nature but - remember - they are not human no matter how much you dress them up so. Nota bene: we are supposedly the intelligent-brained species.

I cannot agree more. We can fake crying but our smell from real sadness are different. I just found this experience ridiculous and unreliable. To me, the mentality of a dog is about the same as a toddler(apart from the very intellient ones. They are lovable and needy, the most adorable time of a child. The difference is, a child will turn into a monster at some stage but a dog would not grow out of it but it is as far as it can go.

As a dog trainer for 40 years, dogs have always been known to be sensitive to changes in breath patterns and posture. We've also know, at least people who work with dogs, that dogs have "sense perception"...they know what your thinking. As the saying goes" You can't lie to a dog". This one of those foolish studies conducted by academics who are looking for an answer to a question that nobody's asking.

If the researchers had owned dogs or grew up with dogs they would realize that pets show empathy. And yes, I have had freinds come over to my house, saddened and my dogs sensed it and tried to provide comfort

I read this article and all I can conclude was the researchers obviously received a huge grant and needed something to spend it on.

I would be more interested in further research on the recent news that rats laugh.....that is a story.

There is a field of science that studies the interactions between people and animals - known as anthrozoology. By its very nature it is a multidisciplinary field, and compared to other sciences, it is relatively young.
I started a LinkedIn group for professionals, researchers, students and other interested folks to discuss anthrozoology here:http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4098244
I will be cross posting this Economist article there. Please join us.

As a dog owner, I would say yes, they do have empathy but sometimes I have doubts how they view us.

They wag their tails when I'm back, look excited when you're on the way to open a can, but not so much fond of you when they're eating. Sometimes I think they may just humans as a source of food.

Deep into their fur, they may have a handbook Training 101 to Human:
1. First wag the tag.
2. Pretend to be cute.
3. Now get your food.
It is as much as how we learn to get a drink from a machine by inserting a coin. I'm pretty sure humans would do these similar behavior if there's a vending machine to award those behavior.

Studies have demonstrated that dogs are cognizant beyond the pattern-oriented feedback behavior that you describe. The best example of this is that dogs respond to pointing of the finger - how is it that a dog can interpret this gesture, but a monkey, who has fingers of his own, cannot? The answer is that dogs have some kind of inherent interest (yes, interest) in humans, a trait that has most likely been bred into dogs by generations of owners. How far this interest goes, and whether it crosses into the emotional, is another matter entirely, and one that, in my opinion, should remain a mystery forever.

My dog isn't that smart to recognize where my finger points. He will just lick and chew my finger, and ignore what it is pointing. But when a dog enjoys my finger too hard and makes me feel hurt, I will say "OUCH!" loud with high pitch tone and my dog will stop.

I read a book about dog's behaviors. It says they use the mouth as fingers to play with other dogs and will respond to the hurtful voice when they bite too hard in order not to hurt others. So I think they see me as another dog, probably a big one with Super POWER!

But that's not always the case and i seriously doubt all dogs being sentimental towards humans and particularly to situations that need a dogs empathy towards the human/owner.
Henceforth, It cannot be concluded that if humans go good on a dog then the response from the dog will be the same or at least safe.

Empathy is not the same as having emotions, nor is it the same concept as reciprocal behavior (i.e. you play with me, it makes me happy and I play in return). Empathy is being able to unilateraly comprehend someone else's emotions. Thus, being able to recognize distress and respond to it even when the human does not choose to initiate any interaction with the dog is a strong indicator of the existence of empathy.

I don't know if this was a demonstration of "empathy," but I'll never forget it: I was working at an SPCA, which had an animal-assisted therapy program. When the leader of that program died, his memorial service was held in the lobby of the SPCA building, in earshot of where the dogs up for adoption were kept. At the moment when the human congregation began singing, the dogs joined in. They barked, bayed, howled, and whined. It was truly amazing, like they perceived themselves to be a part of the clan in some way.

Definitely part of the pack. Dogs are social, and to them we are basically just large, funny-looking alpha dogs. You see similar vocalizing behavior in wolf packs (i.e. one starts a howl, and the other all join in). They very likely saw their funny-looking pack mates all starting to howl, and they all joined in.

I had a similar experience. A neighbor's child came to our house all upset because she had accidentally locked herself out and her mom was away. She was crying bitterly so we had her sit on our couch while we waited for her mom to return. My dog at the time, an amazing little Jack Russell, saw the child crying and (without any prompting or training to do so) hopped up next to her on the couch, lay down beside her and put her head in her lap, and let herself be petted. The child quieted down almost instantly. She stayed in that same position until the mom came back. I was amazed.

Dog breeds have different personalities due to their varied vocations.

For example, Golden Retriever has a loving, affectionate, and eager-to-please personality. In contrast a Basenji is aloof, standoffish, barkless, and likes to yodel. They are not good shepherds or watch dogs.

Other dogs are bred for hunting, ratting, or racing.

Some companion dogs are bred to be affectionate and empathetic like the Pekinese, Pug, Shih Tzu and lap-terriers. They look into your face and eyes and respond to facial cues while sprawled on your lap.

Some breeds are better at shepherding and others are better at companionship. The latter specialize in empathy. And some dogs have the emotional intelligence of of autism.

Dog breeds have different personalities due to their varied vocations...Breed and breeding does matter.

Definitely.

We've had many dogs in the family.

The two sweetest were two female (not contemporary) huge Rottweilers.

It was extremely funny to see people used to the idea that Rottweilers are nasty beasts to see them greeting strangers with joy and playing with everybody. Licking them too to the horror of person so honoured.

The second one had the most incredible understanding of people's wishes, moods, needs. It looked as if she could really talk if she wished.

One of the present ones is a Chesapeake retriever. Sweet as sugar but misbehaved as a not too well brought up little 'un.

Nothing we try seems to stop it from doing the most atrocious small silly things misbehaved dogs do.

He has only one enemy: public street trash bins that have a plastic lid where we live. Being a windy place, the lid opens and closes with gusts looking vaguely like an animal opening and closing its jaws as if to bite.

The retriever spend minutes barking at it until bored by the dust bin refusal to accept the fight, goes away with a dignified victorious gait.

For fun, nothing beats a dog. Studying their "personalities" is a treat.

My two-year-old Pom is very responsive to "kiss kiss" except when she realizes I am going out without her, at which time in response to my "kiss kiss" she turns her head away and won't look at me. I find such emotional response to differing circumstances amazing.